The Garden Isle

It was black outside. I'm talking a prehistoric darkness, before fire was invented when only the sun emitted light. The headlights helped illuminate the road but beyond the beams was a world of black. I tried to imagine the scenery as lush tropical forest, maybe mountains in the distance or maybe the trees blocked their view. There had to be some structures along the route either houses or storefronts, at least a gas station. There could have been dinosaurs watching our headlights whizz through the darkness and we never would have known. After all, this was the home to Jurassic Park.

There had been no discussion about staying on Oahu, Sarah's sister was going to be there with the band, it just made sense. When Sarah and I decided to spend some time on a second island of Hawaii the choices came down to Maui and Kauai. Then I found out Kauai was where Jurassic Park was filmed and there was no longer a decision to be made.

The darkness we experienced on our initial drive was due to an island wide light curfew to respect a nesting bird species. The following morning, it was easy to see why Spielberg chose to film on Kauai. If you've seen Jurassic Park, that's Kauai. The helicopter ride onto Isle Nublar was Kauai's Na Pali Coast. Having seen the movies I could see the influences but I bet it didn't take long to decide Kauai was the perfect location for dinosaurs before the CGI put them there.

Beyond my childhood wonder of dinosaurs, Kauai was perfect for Sarah and I. She had her beaches, I had adventure. The island was quiet and moved slow, there was nightlife but everyone was in bed by ten. There was no hurry or stress, everything moved at our pace and the days lasted as long as we needed them to.

Kauai is about half the size of Rhode Island but contains all of the landscapes of the western United States. Colorado has mountains, so does Kauai. California has beaches, so does Kauai. The Pacific northwest has forests and waterfalls, so does Kauai. Arizona has something called the Grand Canyon, Kauai has Waimea Canyon also referred to as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific.

We took a day and drove around the island to Waimea Canyon. All of the pictures, all of the websites, all of the information, even driving into the park and hiking up to the rim, I didn't believe this place could exist on Hawaii until I saw it. I've been to the Grand Canyon and while it is the masterwork of Mother Nature, Waimea Canyon may be more phenomenal because of its location. On an island of only 500 square miles, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean is a 3,000 foot, red and green mosaic, canyon. The Grand Canyon is twice as deep as Waimea and almost four times the size of Kauai but they are equal in their ability to take your breath away.

After stopping at the various viewing points around the rim, Sarah and I hiked to Waipoo Falls. The hike was sloppy after rain the day before, but a beautiful descent through a lush forest took our minds off the mud. The trail eventually spit us out on the edge of the canyon where I played chicken with my fears walking as close to the edge of the guardrail free lip of Waimea Canyon as I could stomach. Waipoo Falls is even more daunting. The trail ends at the mouth of the falls and again you can walk right to the edge where the water falls 800 feet into the canyon. While the idea of peering over a cliff for a birds eye view of the cascading water was tempting, mud caked shoes and wet rocks kept me firmly planted spitting distance from the edge.

It was difficult not to bask in the beauty of Kauai. We stayed in Princeville on the north side of the island where the only way to avoid a mountain vista was to close your eyes. When it rained, waterfalls would cut through the deep green walls and rainbows were about as frequent as church bells in the south. The rain mostly stayed in the mountains except for one night where we watched the rain roll across the coast from Hanalei Pier. The sun was setting and sending golden casts into the storm clouds that were a calming purple gray. Curtains of precipitation ran through the scene while an occasional drizzle would land on the beach where we were watching the show.

While the camera enjoyed shooting the stormy colors from Hanalei Pier, it was another sunset later in the week that gave it a thrill. A local photographer recommended a trip to Glass Beach on the south side of Kauai for a sunset. While visions of sea glass may come to mind, the glass that covered Glass Beach had yet to meet the sea. It was as if the locals were the ones responsible for the world's supply of sea glass and used the rocks around the beach to break bottles for the currents to smooth out. Beyond the shard covered stretch was a rock peninsula with a blow hole that spewed an ocean mist high into the air while, in the background, hung yet another rainbow.

Our last full day on Kauai was saved for the most strenuous activity of the trip. The Na Pali coast is iconic not just to Kauai but to Hawaii. While it is easier to see the coast and absorb the magnitude of the waved mountains by boat or a helicopter tour, there is a trail for the adventerous tourists. The Kalalau Trail runs 11 miles along the coast but we only hiked the first two to Hanakapiai Beach.

The trail starts with a steep incline but the reward is endless views of the magnificent coastline. It eventually winds back down to the beach which made the hike in relatively easy. Hanakapiai Beach was the most crowded of all the beaches we visited on Kauai. The Kalalau Trail may be Kauai's most popular attraction and Hanakapiai Beach is about as far as most people are willing to go. Those that choose not to turn back right away will likely do what we did and hike another two miles to Hanakapiai Falls.

To get to Hanakapiai Beach you have to cross a river that comes from the falls, to get to the waterfall you must cross it three more times. With the camera bag and tripod on my back, both Sarah and I managed to make it to the waterfall and back with dry feet. While others were going barefoot or slipping and drowning their shoes in the water, a little patience, strategic planning and teamwork kept all four of our feet dry until the end.

Quick disclaimer: Shortly before we departed for Hawaii, a friend of Sarah's returned, having spent their trip on Kauai. Hanakapiai Falls was the highlight of their trip and she claimed the sight of the falls brought tears to her eyes.

When we reached the falls I was dripping sweat, the late morning sun was beginning to bake the forest and even my minimal loose clothing was too much. Then the trail opened up, the forest broke into a clearing and a breeze carrying the mist of Hanakapiai Falls chased away the sweat with a wave of chills. The water that was pouring over the edge of the cliff was reduced to a spray of vapor by the time it landed 300 feet in the pool below. The sun hit the water like a spotlight as it broke apart in mid air against the black rock cliff sitting in shadow. As the water danced before me, I didn't cry, but had there been a triceratops in that clearing instead of Hanakapiai Falls my face would have looked exactly the same.

We found a rock to unload our packs on and shared a snack while taking in the falls. I couldn't stop watching the water move like white sheets blowing in the night. A small gust of wind would send the flow off center only to cut through the void like a line of comets disintegrating through the atmosphere. While others stripped down to cool off in the pool below the falls, I stared in amazement trying to figure out how to capture the spectacle. Give a little credit to a full week's worth of shooting, but by the time we set back on the trail, I had shot up all of my memory cards.

While our feet stayed dry on the four mile hike out, I can't say the same for the rest of me. It was after noon and the high sun was beaming down sending my entire body into frantic cool down mode. Sweat was pouring out of me while my camera bag somehow doubled in weight. That well timed descent to the beach on the trek in was now a never ending quad burner that had me huffing and puffing like I was about to make some crafty pigs homeless. By the time we reached the beach at the end of the hike, I collapsed into the ocean like I was on fire.

The next morning we headed back to the beach to squeeze as many rays in as we could before our flight. This was not the relaxing beach day we had in mind and the memory still burns with regret. While we laid out on Haena Beach, we groaned as a parade of snorkelers came in and out of the water raving about all of the sea turtles swimming just off shore. Sarah and I didn't have snorkel gear with us and the closest rental stand was far enough away to make it useless. Instead we sat there and were forced to withstand a barrage of enthusiastic testimonials about a snorkel experience I've long dreamed about.

It was tough to board the plane home knowing I came so close to the cherry on top for this Hawaii vacation. While I had played out dinosaur hunter scenarios and seen a bizarre combination of landforms for a 500 square mile island, I couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed. I've left pictures on the board after vacations, missing a shot here or there, but I never let an experience slip through my fingers. I guess there's only one thing to do, go back.